UAC pullback wipes $10 million off Fola Aiyesimoju’s portfolio, dragging his stake below $100 million

Nigeria’s youngest dealmaker, Folasope Babasola Aiyesimoju, CEO and largest shareholder of UAC of Nigeria Plc (UACN), has seen his stake dip below the $100 million mark following a recent pullback in the company’s shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).

The decline follows a peak in UACN’s share price at N200 ($0.14) on July 21, with the stock shedding momentum in the weeks after the recent release of its half-year earnings, trimming more than $10 million from his holdings over the last two weeks.

Stake value drops 10% in 2 weeks on sustained selloff

Aiyesimoju owns 743.08 million shares in UAC, representing a 25.36% stake in the diversified conglomerate and holding company with six (6) subsidiaries with interests organised around four (4) principal sectors.

As the UACN’s stock price slid from N200 ($0.14) on July 21 to N179 ($0.13) by about 10% over 14 days, the value of his stake declined from N148.62 billion ($107.79 million) to N133.01 billion ($97.54 million). The drop represents a paper loss of N15.6 billion ($10.25 million), averaging more than $730,000 per day since July 21.

Recent H1 2026 report weighs on sentiment

UAC of Nigeria Plc, one of the country’s oldest conglomerates, operates across packaged foods and beverages, paints, animal feeds, and quick-service restaurants, with flagship brands including Gala, Chivita, Hollandia, Dulux, and Mr Bigg’s. Listed on the Nigerian Exchange, the holding company’s operations include UAC Foods Limited, producers of Gala Sausage Roll and Delite Fruit Juice; UAC Restaurants Limited, operator of Mr Bigg’s outlets; MDS Logistics, a hub for pharmaceutical distribution; and stakes in Livestock Feeds Plc and Portland Paints Nigeria.

However, investor sentiment has been dampened despite a strong underlying performance by the diversified conglomerate in the first half of 2026. UAC reported a 230.57% surge in revenue to N364.97 billion ($267.54 million) and a 3.7x jump in gross profit to N105 billion ($77 million), driven largely by the consolidation of C.H.I. Limited. Profit rose 172.14% to N20.03 billion ($14.68 million), reflecting improved scale and margin expansion across its core businesses.

The pullback underscores the sensitivity of equity-linked fortunes to market movements, with Aiyesimoju’s earlier gains, driven by improved earnings, the group’s N2.93 billion ($2.12 million) dividend for the 2025 fiscal year, and investor optimism, now partially reversed despite the company’s solid financial momentum.

Aiyesimoju’s holdings on NGX 

UAC of Nigeria Plc’s year-to-date rally has moderated, with gains easing from about 120% earlier in the year to roughly 97% as of the latest trading sessions, while still keeping the stock among Nigeria’s more valuable listed equities.

At the same time, weakness in Chemical and Allied Products Plc (CAP), a key subsidiary, has weighed on Aiyesimoju’s broader portfolio. Over the past 77 days, CAP shares have declined by 45.41%, reducing the value of his holdings from approximately N110.15 billion ($80.36 million) on May 19, 2026, to about N60.47 billion ($43.87 million). The sharp correction underscores rising volatility in Nigeria’s equities market, even for companies with strong underlying fundamentals.

In addition, Aiyesimoju’s 41.47% indirect stake in UACN Property Development Company (UPDC), representing 7.7 billion shares, is currently valued at around N29.25 billion ($21.7 million), reflecting the mixed performance across UAC’s diversified portfolio.